University of Minnesota Twin Cities and Rochester Campuses Meet All 21 Accreditation Requirements

March 08, 2016

The University of Minnesota recently received news from the Higher Learning Commission that the commission has formally accepted the conclusions of the accreditation team that visited the Twin Cities and Rochester campuses last October.

The accreditation team determined that the campuses met all 21 requirements within the Higher Learning Commission’s five criteria – Mission, Integrity, Teaching and Learning, Evaluation and Improvement and Resources – with no follow-up activity or monitoring related to accreditation or federal compliance criteria. This follows a comprehensive process that included reviewing the University’s accreditation reports; meeting and interviewing dozens of campus faculty, staff and students; and analyzing countless University documents and data.

“Here at the University of Minnesota we focus much of our attention systemwide on how we can continue to improve,’’ said President Eric Kaler, “but moments like this — with such glowing accreditation reviews — allow us to reflect and celebrate how well we are doing across the board.”

Kaler continued: “We can take pride in the fact that the latest review means the Twin Cities campus has been accredited continuously since 1913 – more than 100 years – while the Rochester campus — our newest — completed the process for the first time and received high marks.”

The accreditation team noted that the University is “well supported by the Board of Regents,” faculty are “deeply engaged in scholarship, teaching, and service,” and that “all sectors of the University are firmly committed to continuous improvement based on the results of internal and external evaluation processes.” Specific to the Rochester campus, the report added that “the quality of teaching and learning, as well as student support services are found to be exceptional.”

“Recognition by the accreditation team of UMR’s outstanding faculty and student support services is an important validation of the hard work, research and innovation our campus has been committed to since our founding,” said UMR Chancellor Stephen Lehmkuhle. “I am deeply grateful to our campus community for its dedication to our students and their success.”

The Twin Cities and Rochester campuses will now continue through the normal review timeline, which requires submission of a written update in academic year 2019-20, and another comprehensive evaluation, including a campus visit, in academic year 2025-2026.

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Karen Hanson said, “I’m delighted that the Commission confirmed what we already knew: that the University community—faculty, students, staff, together and working with the broader public—thoughtfully plan, review and reflect, and work toward continuous improvement. I want to express my sincere appreciation to our faculty, staff and students, who not only participated in the recent accreditation process, but whose ongoing hard work ensures continued excellence in the delivery of the University’s mission.”